


Under the Skin

by eyeshinesss



Category: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series - Jeff Kinney
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crush at First Sight, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Time, Horny Teenagers, I'll add more tags as the story goes on, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Light Angst, Nothing too hard though, POV Second Person, Pining, Reader has PTSD - (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), Reader-Insert, Recreational Drug Use, Self-Insert, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Strong Language, Teen Romance, Underage Drinking, dont worry the pining gets mutual eventually, reader isn't like the other girls but without internalized misogyny, rodrick crushes on heather in this, rodrick drinks but hasn't done drugs, rodrick learns to respect wamen, this is purely self indulgent, you introduce rodrick to drugs, you're better than her though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 08:42:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25467964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eyeshinesss/pseuds/eyeshinesss
Summary: Suburbia is unfamiliar to you. The houses were too clean, and the neighbors too nice. When faced with summer isolation before one of the most critical years of high school, how will you cope? Perhaps you're doomed to be a loser until you graduate, or perhaps a certain messy-haired punk from across the street makes his way into your life. Your growing crush on him doesn't help, either. Rodrick is intrigued by you, having never met a punk girl before, but will your presence in his life steer his feelings away from the ever-popular Heather Hills?
Relationships: Rodrick Heffley/Reader
Comments: 15
Kudos: 69





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to my first ever fan fiction, as well as my first time posting on ao3! i was unsatisfied with the lack of Rodrick/Reader fics, so i thought why not write my own? criticism is welcomed, but please be nice :')

### Prologue

_the endless road stretches before you_

_during night found through deserted paths_

_vertebrae straight on screaming highways through glowing lines_

_the faint hollow sounds, contained sounds follow passing_

_fried to flaying hope flaying fear laid out bones bare_

_you don’t know who you’re becoming._

How is a teenager supposed to reinvent herself when given the chance? You hardly knew who you were in the first place. Let’s recount the details. It’s mid July, you’re sixteen years old, and you’re moving to Plainview, Connecticut because your dad got a job there. You have a mom, a dad, and a younger sister named Taylor. You were always a shy kid, which meant teachers loved you and your peers either ignored you or made fun of you. Well, not all of your peers. There were a few people who you grew close to, yet those flames always seemed to go out once you weren’t required to be in the same building for seven hours a day. That’s how it is, you suppose. Currently, you’re in the backseat of your parents’ car trying to fall asleep while sitting as far back as your seat allowed. A slow and dreamy song plays in your earbuds as street lamps whiz by like comets. One after the other they highlight your tired face in the window, or maybe they were the headlights of cars going the other direction.  


You tried not to think about what you were leaving behind, but old memories kept resurfacing. There were always your daydreams to turn to, though. You just had to decide on a scenario to imagine. There’s the classic write-your-own-reader-insert with a fictional character or celebrity of your choice, or you could just imagine yourself in the universe of one of your favorite franchises. The music in your ears droned on. You pulled up your blanket and drifted into a dream that would soon be forgotten.


	2. I

# I

The final box was placed in your new room, along with your full-sized bed, dressers, and vanity. You sighed and sat down on your mattress that desperately needed some blankets on it. Your brief rest was interrupted by a sudden yet subtle sense of grief. You stared past the floor as you felt loneliness creep up behind you. As quickly as you sat down you got up and began looking for the box that held your sheets, blankets, and pillows, eager to keep yourself occupied.

Just as you uncovered the box labeled Y/N's BED STUFF, your mom called for you and your sister to come downstairs. You wondered just what the hell your mom could want just as you started unpacking for real. As you stepped into the kitchen, you saw your mom and dad talking to a similarly aged woman with shoulder length hair and glasses. Taylor was standing awkwardly by the fridge.

"You must be Y/N!" She greeted you with a smile that seemed a little too cheerful and held her hand out for you to shake. "I'm Susan." You took her hand and smiled back, albeit less forcefully. "You're going into your junior year right?" She asked.

You nodded.

"Oh, that's exciting! My son Rodrick's also going to be a junior this year. Maybe you'll end up being friends." Susan mused.

"He better not try anything funny with my daughter, though." Your dad said mock-seriously. He couldn't hold the stern look for long, and soon laughed alongside your mom and Susan. Your sister rolled her eyes.

Feeling sufficiently awkward, you said, "Well, I'm going to go unpack my stuff now, nice to meet you Susan." You gave a small wave and retreated back upstairs. On your way back to your room, you tried to picture what a guy named Rodrick would look like. You didn't have high expectations if you were being honest with yourself. Most of the guys who live in suburban areas are just cargo shorts, Patagonia, and hockey - nothing interesting about them all. A little hopeful part of you wanted him to be cute, maybe dressed alternatively and listened to music that wasn't in the Top 40 Hits, or whatever. Now wasn't the time to be possibly setting yourself up for disappointment, though. You have a bed to make.

You grabbed some scissors from your bedside table and ran the blade along the seam of the box containing your bed sheets. Since it was summer, you settled on your powder blue linen sheets and got to work attempting to tuck in the fitted one. After that ordeal was over, you laid out the matching sheet that isn't fitted, then a lightweight dark gray comforter, and finally your favorite fuzzy blanket. Next order of business was pillows, of which you had a lot. People who sleep with one pillow don't know what they're missing. You tossed them aimlessly at the head of your bed.

You huffed and flopped face first onto your now made bed. You pulled your phone out of your back pocket and checked for any messages. Nothing except for YouTube notifications telling you who uploaded today. You felt a little hurt that no one had messaged you, but you suppose that maybe it's because you haven't told them you reached your new house. You opened the messaging app and texted your friend Eliza.

_heyy im finally here_

You stared at the little letters in the green text bubble for a minute before tossing your phone on the bed and getting up. You needed to keep yourself occupied. You grabbed the scissors again and began opening up boxes and unpacking the contents. Your unused blankets in particular still smelled like your old room, making you just a bit more homesick than you already were. You continued with your lotions, perfumes, and little trinkets you collected throughout the years. Next were your various posters of bands and video game related prints which you meticulously tacked to the wall next to your vanity.

After a while most of the boxes were empty, and the golden light of sunset hit your hardwood floors. Your phone's notification ringtone sounded throughout your room, giving you a jolt of excitement. Did your friend text you back? Nope. It's just your mom texting you to tell you that dinner is ready. You suddenly became aware of how hungry you were and quickly made your way downstairs towards the enticing smell of food. On the counter was a casserole dish covered with aluminum foil, which did little to hide it's alluring scent. Come to think of it, you didn't recognize that casserole dish.

"Hey, girls." Your mom greeted you and your sister, who had just entered the kitchen. "Susan brought us casserole as a welcome to the neighborhood. Wasn't that nice of her?"

"Sure, as long as it's not poisoned." Taylor remarked sarcastically. Your mom chuckled in response while you just moved to snag a slice or two of that casserole. After putting two big pieces of casserole on your plate, Taylor chimed in, "Can you not eat the whole thing? Other people wanna eat too, you know." You just rolled your eyes, Taylor pushed the tip of her nose up at you. You flipped her off while your mom's back was turned. "MOOOM," Your sister whined, "Y/N put her middle finger up at me!"

"Y/N, you know that's not how we communicate in this house." Your dad told you sternly as he came in from the living room. You wondered how the hell Taylor managed to get away with constantly mocking you. Your current theory is that they just love her more than you, as dramatic as that sounds. A little melodrama never hurt anybody, though, you think. 

"Susan invited us over for dinner tomorrow night, Y/N," your mom started, "and I want you both on your best behavior, got it?"

"Mhm." You hummed with your mouth still full of casserole. Why did she say your name if she was talking to you and Taylor? Whatever, you guess you'll never be privy to your mom's weird parent logic. As soon as you finished your dinner you immediately started for your room. You sensed this was going to be a common occurrence, just like it was before, and just as it always will be. You closed the door to your room and checked your phone once more. Nothing. You groaned and flopped onto the bed again, eyeing one of your now dark windows and a certain pocket of your duffle bag. Not tonight, you thought to yourself. Besides, your parents were still awake and you didn't know where the safe spots were yet. 

You let out another heavy sigh and opened up YouTube on your phone. Hopefully there would be a video over ten minutes you could watch to help you fall asleep. After selecting one analyzing a video game you kind of knew about, you changed out of your day clothes into a tank top and soft shorts and took off your makeup. Washing your face can wait until morning, you suppose. Thoughts about what the neighbor's kid would be like kept creeping into your mind. Why were you even getting your hopes up about this dude anyways? You tried to quell your secret desire for a summer teen slash high school romance by convincing yourself he was most definitely going to be a pastel shorts, Vineyard Vines-wearing guy with no unique interests. Focusing on the video you had playing helped more with getting you to sleep. Slowly but surely, the chatter turned to white noise as you felt yourself drifting off.


	3. II

# II

You jolted awake, gasping for air and thrashing your limbs around until the blankets were off of you. You coughed and examined your surroundings, almost freaking out when you didn’t recognize your room. You let out a sigh of relief and ran your hands through your hair. The sun wasn’t even up yet. You reached for your phone, and as you unlocked it you were blinded by 4:12AM in bright white text. You groaned and squinted in response, quickly locking your phone again and tossing it back onto your bed. As your nightmare still played in your head, your breathing subconsciously quickened. You felt your arms wrap around your torso as you began rocking back and forth, your eyes glazed over. “Why… Why… Why…” Your voice quivered. Tears began welling up in your eyes as you stared into nothing.

A sudden vibration from your phone got your attention. You looked over at the now illuminated screen. Your heart leapt as you read the preview of a text from Eliza. You snatched up your phone and opened the text immediately.

##### elizaaaa

 **Hey girl sorry i didn’t respond :( i was getting my**  
**wisdom teeth out**

**o shit**

**you doing okay?**

**Ya except for the gauze in my mouth and my**

**painkillers wearing off :/**

**:((**  
**you should try to sleep thru the pain**  
**Nah i’m already wide awake lol**  
**How’s your new place tho?**

**SO suburban lmaoo like**  
**one of the neighbors brought us a casserole**

**No shit lmao**  
**Is your neighborhood even real? That’s**  
**some movie shit**

**ikr it doesn’t feel real tbh**  
**i need to go tf to sleep tho, had a crazy**  
**nightmare that woke me up :/**

**Aww Y/N :((**  
**You okay? You can always talk to me girl**  
**thanks but i need to get back to bed,**  
**i have a lot of shit to unpack tomorrow**  
**or today rather**

**Okayy… gn**

**gn girl, text u tomorrow**

You locked your phone again and set it down beside you as you laid down on your copious amount of pillows. The nightmare that almost sent you spiraling was less than a distant thought thanks to Eliza. You pulled your soft blankets as drowsiness weighed on your eyelids. Soon you slipped into a deep, comfortable sleep.

◘ ◘ ◘

Sunlight scattered through the blinds on your windows, making its way up to shine on your eyelids. You stretched and lazily opened your eyes, sitting up slightly in your bed before rolling over away from the sunlight. You checked the time with your phone, and jolted awake as you read the digits displayed on your screen. “1:30pm?” You say to yourself, already exasperated and your day hasn’t even begun. 

As you made your way to the kitchen to eat some cereal, your dad greeted you with a classic comment about you “finally coming out of hibernation”. You laughed sarcastically and grabbed a bowl along with some cereal and milk. You scrolled through social media absentmindedly as you ate your cereal. Your mom walked in and greeted you, “Good afternoon.” 

You nodded in return, since your mouth was full of cereal. “Remember, hon, we’re going to dinner at the Heffley’s tonight so I want you to look presentable.” She reminded you.

“Mom, do you really think I’m gonna stay in my pajamas all day?” You replied as you spooned more cereal into your mouth.

“I’m just saying I want us to make a good first impression, Y/N.”

“Mhm, mhm.” You hummed. “Now, why are you telling me this and not your _other_ daughter with a known chronic attitude problem?” 

“Hey, don’t be rude. You know Taylor doesn’t mean what she says, hon.” Your mom replied. You could sense the slight twinge of annoyance in her voice.

“Whatever you say.” You mumbled and set your bowl in the sink and went back upstairs to unpack some more and get yourself ready for the day.

“Be ready by 5:30, alright?” Your mom called up after you.

You placed a tentative hand on your chin to stroke an imaginary beard. _Now what should I unpack first?_ You pondered. After another couple seconds you settled on the rest of your clothes, and so you got to work. Summer clothes in one dresser, and winter clothes in the closet. You moved some other miscellaneous items into the closet or just stuffed them into what would now be known as your junk drawer of your vanity. You stretched and took a sip from the glass of water your mom brought you a while ago. The now plugged in clock on your nightstand displayed the time in glowing red. You glanced at it, and gawked once you saw it was 4:50, which means you had 40 minutes to pick an outfit and do your makeup. “Shit.” You whispered to yourself, and hopped in front of your vanity, dumping out the contents of your travel makeup bag as you got to work.

After your speedrun of your makeup routine, you picked out a plaid pleated miniskirt and a black off the shoulder top. Your accessories of choice were some simple drop earrings and a few silver rings. To top off your look, you laced up your black ankle boots over some plain black socks that passed just over the tops of them. You checked yourself in your mirror, fixing your hair slightly. The Heffley’s son your age crossed your mind once again. You wondered what he might be like, even if you had already almost convinced yourself he was just another generic teen dudebro. A subconscious part of you wanted him to think you were pretty, at least. 

“Y/N!” Your mom called up the staircase to you. “Time to go!”

“Coming!” You yell back and grab your phone. As you arrive downstairs, your sister gives you a judgemental look. You braced yourself for whatever snide comment was waiting to slither out of her mouth. 

“You’re really wearing that?” She scoffed.

“At least I look like a real person instead of a mannequin at Hollister.” You retorted. You weren’t lying, though. She was dressed in her light washed shorts, white tank top, and matching white Vans slip-ons. Middle schoolers like her made no damn sense to you.

“Hey now,” your dad warned, “ best behavior.” Both you and Taylor averted your gazes like scolded puppies. You trek across the street to the Heffley’s house for dinner. Anticipation started building up in your stomach. What were you gonna do if their oldest son was kinda cute? Let yourself fall for him and inevitably be rejected in favor of a hotter, thinner, blonder girl? You pushed those thoughts out of your mind for now. All you had to do tonight was “make a good impression”, according to your mom.

Susan answers the door with a smile on her face, and who you presume to be her youngest son in her arms. She quickly ushers you all into her home, which was the epitome of upper-middle class housing - two floors, neutral wall color, warm lighting, strangely clean living spaces, the works. It definitely wasn’t something you were used to seeing, considering your family’s previous home. As you, your parents, and Taylor make your way into the dining room, you hear two pairs of footsteps making their way down the staircase. Two boys come around the corner into the dining room.

“Oh, boys” Susan says “introduce yourself to our guests please.” You turn around to look at the pair.

“Hi, I’m Greg.” The younger, assumably middle school aged boy, says awkwardly. He looked like kind of a wimp if you’re being honest with yourself. He was wearing a striped polo shirt and khaki pants, typical dweeb attire.

“Rodrick.” The older boy states nonchalantly. You turn your attention to him upon hearing his name. This is the Heffley’s son your age that’s been lurking in your thoughts since you moved in. Before you is a tall, skinny boy with messy black hair. Your gaze hovers on his deep brown eyes - wait, is he wearing eyeliner or is he just sleep deprived? You couldn’t tell from where you were standing. His outfit consisted of a black band tee and black skinny jeans. Hold on, was this dude actually cute? You found yourself staring. Shit, did you just catch feelings for the overly-friendly neighbor’s teen son who also happens to be - dare you say - a bad boy? No, this is not happening. 

Your thoughts are cut short by Rodrick suddenly making eye contact with you. He raises his hand in a lazy wave and throws you a slight smirk. You raise your hand in an awkward wave back before quickly looking away, a faint pink dusting your cheeks. Were you blushing? Already? Shit, okay, this is happening you guess. Your mom put a hand on your shoulder. "This is our oldest, Y/N," she said. "And this is our youngest, Taylor." Taylor looked almost visibly annoyed at the prospect of having to talk to Greg.

"Well, now that we're all introduced," Susan began, "boys, make sure you make our guests feel welcome while I finish up dinner." Your parents began conversing with Susan and Frank in the kitchen, leaving you and Taylor to figure out what the hell to do.

Incredibly awkward silence began between you, your sister, Greg, and Rodrick. "So," Greg said to your sister, "where'd you move from?" He was clearly trying to put the moves on her, trying to appear suave. _That's not gonna go well_ , you think to yourself. He received no response from Taylor. Ouch, that had to hurt. Greg stammered for a bit before asking, “Wanna play Twisted Wizard 2?”

“Sure, whatever.” Taylor said. Her distaste was clear to you at least, but she followed him into the living room anyways.

You turn back to Rodrick, looking down at his band tee and recognizing the slightly worn logo. "So… you like Impure Intention?" You asked Rodrick. Immediately you regretted speaking.

Rodrick glanced down at his shirt, then back up at you before replying. "Yeah, they're one of my favorites, actually. You know them?"

"Duh, I used to go to their shows all the time before I moved." You replied with a small smile. The anxiety was letting up a bit now that you knew you had something in common, but you were still pretty tense. What if you came off as arrogant just now? 

"Lucky, I'd kill to go to one of their shows." He said, returning your slight smile. No way, was he warming up to you? _Y/N, stop. You're getting ahead of yourself._ You reminded yourself internally.

"What's your favorite album from them?" You asked, hoping you could keep this going enough for him to at least somewhat like you.

He pondered for a moment before responding. “Their debut album is my personal favorite.”

“Nice, nice.” Oh, god. Did you already run out of things to talk about? Think, Y/N, think. “So, uh,” you stammered slightly, “what else do you listen to?”

He started listing off bands, “Uh, there’s Perfect Poison, Midwest Murder Chicks, and of course Impure Intention... I could show you my collection of CDs, if you want.” He offered.

“Sure, that’d be cool.” You replied, hoping to whatever deity was up there that you didn’t come off as desperate.

“After you.” He said while gesturing to the staircase. He had that smirk on his face again. Were you blushing? No time to get caught up in how red your face might be in the current moment, you guess. You went up the carpeted stairs and stopped once you reached the second floor hallway as you waited for Rodrick, who was following close behind. After he passed by you, you saw he was heading towards another set of stairs. His room is the attic? You asked yourself. You followed him up.  
“Well, whaddaya think?” He asked, spreading his arms, presenting his room to you proudly.

“This is pretty sick.” You remarked. The beams on the ceiling were exposed, and there was a faint smell of dust. Not all that abnormal for an attic. You scanned the room. There was a lot of stuff everywhere, including some clothes scattered on the floor. Your eyes landed on the rack of CDs. “Those are all yours?” You asked, pointing to said rack of CDs.

“Hell yeah they are.” Rodrick said. “You wanna listen to some?”

Just as you were about to say yes, you heard Susan calling up the stairs for you and Rodrick. “Maybe another time?” You said, a little embarrassed despite the fact that you didn’t do anything embarrassing. You both went downstairs to the dining room. 

The pot roast Susan made for dinner was amazing, to say the least. You barely talked because of how fast you ate, like you couldn’t get enough of the stuff. You learned a few things over dinner about the Heffley’s. Susan wrote an advice column in the local paper, Greg was going into the seventh grade, and Rodrick had his own band called Löded Diper. Gross name, but what did you expect from a teen boy? Speak of the devil, you kept sneaking glances at him praying neither he nor anyone else caught you being admittedly a little weird. He didn’t. Thankfully awkward eye contact was completely absent from the night.

Dinner passed by, and your family thanked the Heffley’s for the meal. Your mom promised to return the favor sometime soon - typical mom-to-mom dialogue, and they just couldn't seem to stop talking. You just wanted to go home and try to work out your newfound, surprisingly intense crush. Eventually, you all said your goodbyes and trekked back across the street to your house with the amber street lamps illuminating the asphalt. 

You took off your shoes at the door and went up to your room. After taking off your makeup and changing into more comfortable clothes, you immediately opened your phone to text Eliza.

**ELIZA!!!!!**  
**WE HAVE A SITUATION**

**What’s up?**

**cute boy alert**  
**i repeat**  
**CUTE BOY ALERT**

**NO WAY**  
**Y/N, SPILL. IMMEDIATELY.**

Oh, you spilled alright. You told her about how you lived across the street from each other, he was into the same music as you, he maybe wears eyeliner, he has a band, all that good stuff. You couldn’t lie, your crush on Rodrick was undeniable.

**Omg Y/N**  
**What if he’s into you too?**

**lmao i highly doubt that, he didn’t even get**  
**to know me**  
**also have you seen me? not exactly a supermodel here**

**Girl don’t say that :( you’re pretty**  
**Hes probably thinking about you right now ;)**

**sure he is lmao**  
**besides a guy as cute as him HAS to have a girlfriend,**  
**right?**

**You’d be surprised**  
**You should ask him ;;;;)**

**absolutely not.**  
**you really think i’d just be that openly desperate? no way sis**

**Lmaoo, well there’s only one way to find out**

**i dunno, i don’t think i should get my hopes up tbh**

You locked your phone and set it down on your bedside table. Once again you found yourself eyeing that pocket of your duffle bag again. “Well maybe a little can’t hurt.” You mumbled to yourself. You unzipped the pocket and pulled out a purple heart-shaped tin. Inside was your weed, bowl, lighter, and a toilet paper roll you put an old sock over to breathe the smoke into. You got to work packing a small bowl for yourself, making sure not to use too much all at once. Before you got into it, though, you lit a lilac-scented candle to help mask the smell.

You walked over to your window, opened it, and proceeded to finish off your bowl. You let the high settle on your brain like a thin layer of T.V. static, putting away your things before laying down on the bed. Rodrick was still on your mind, despite the fact that you barely knew each other. Did you seriously fall for him that fast? Were you fucking yourself over already? _No_ , you thought to yourself, _now is not the time to spiral._ You flipped over onto your stomach and grabbed your phone, eager for a distraction from your own thoughts.

You tried to enjoy the feeling of the high, but dark thoughts kept creeping up on you. Why? Why were you being forced to start your life over? Why did you have to be alone? Everything that happened to you; glass breaking, a hand gripping your arm hard enough to bruise, and your heart that seemed to never harden despite everything. You kept trying to convince yourself this would be a fresh start, but you were still the same weak, fragile girl you were before. You knew you were setting yourself up for disappointment. Tears started to form in your eyes. Whatever, you just needed to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i be writing, and damn am i rusty lmao. i wanna have this fic go low and slow, since i find the majority of them to be too fast-paced for me. i'm just a sucker for slow romance. that's just me though. let me know what you think, if you liked it, or have any ways i can improve!


	4. III

# III

Midday was hot and hazy. You were sprawled on your couch, now in the living room, bored as all hell. Nothing on your phone could entertain you, you didn’t feel like playing video games, and your parents haven’t set up the T.V. yet anyways. Your mind kept going back to last night at the Heffley’s, despite the fact that nothing of interest happened between you and Rodrick. Unless you count your sudden intense crush on the guy.

Just as that one thought started to completely take over your mind again, your mom walked in. _Oh, no._ You thought. _She’s probably gonna tell me to do something with myself._ And tell you to do something with yourself she did. “Y/N, you need to get out, explore the neighborhood, make some friends!” She said enthusiastically.

You groaned in annoyance. Can’t you just have one day off from doing things? How come she wasn’t forcing Taylor to do stuff outside?

“Well, if you don’t get outside somehow, I guess you can help me unpack the kitchen things.” Your mom said, although it felt more like a threat than a request.

“Fiiine.” You whined and peeled yourself off the couch, stuffing your phone in your back pocket as you made your way to the front door. You slipped on your Vans and entered the garage. You’d never had a garage before, it was weird and always cold somehow. You spotted your skateboard leaning up against the far wall, beckoning you to take it out for a ride now that you lived somewhere with a sidewalk. You obliged to the board’s imaginary request and picked it up gingerly, the griptape slightly poking your soft palms. You stepped out of the garage and sighed as you looked out at the suburban scene before you: perfect green leaves on perfectly trimmed trees on perfectly mowed lawns. Something about it intimidated you.

You shook it off and stepped out of the garage, stiffly holding your board against your hip. Well, you may as well pick a direction and skate. How complicated could the streets be? They’re all basically just squares. You took note of your house’s number before setting your board down and pushing off down the sidewalk. Maybe your mom was right, being outside felt pretty nice. The air caressed your face and made your hair flow behind you gracefully, and somehow the summer heat felt gentle instead of intense. 

You let your board carry you awhile down the street before the trees cleared and the scenery turned more urban. Luckily no large crowds were on your side of the street. You spotted a small gas station in the distance, and decided that would be your target. You had a couple bucks in your phone case, enough for a cheap drink maybe. You picked up your board and walked inside, taking in the slight sour tobacco smell all small gas stations seemed to have. You walked to the back of the store where a menagerie of beverages were kept. You debated on which drink to get, squinting slightly as you weighed your options. Eventually, you settled on a three-dollar raspberry sweet tea and made your way up to the cashier. Jeez, and you thought you looked tired constantly. The guy running the register looks like he hasn’t slept since elementary school. You put your drink up on the counter, he scanned it. 

“Three-fifty is your total.” He said in a monotone voice. You took a fiver out of your phone case and handed it over. Did transactions normally take this long? The clerk gave you your change and dismissed you with a half-hearted “have a nice day.” You gave him a small wave and an awkward smile in response. You didn’t blame him for his lack of enthusiasm. If you had that job, you’d probably act like a zombie, too.

After exiting the gas station you scanned the general area. Maybe you should go home. There wasn’t much else to do around here as far as you knew, so you pushed off back towards your house. The breeze was colder this time around, despite the sun still being relatively high in the sky. As you entered suburbia again, you gazed at all the perfect houses. They looked so similar to each other. _No flavor…_ You mused to yourself. Just as your eyes returned to the sidewalk, a small cat was trotting along right across your path. You tried to swerve away from it, but just as you did a girl came jogging after it right in front of you. “Oh, shit-” You just barely missed her and what you presumed was her cat, but you yelped as you flew off your board and into a row of hedges behind her, with your board and drink following suit.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” She asked. She didn’t wait for an answer before pulling you out of the hedgerow. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t even hear you coming!” Before you could apologize back, she was already looking for your board.

You hissed in pain as you righted yourself, rubbing your arms that were now covered in small pink scratches. You weren’t bleeding, thankfully. “It’s okay, I’ve definitely had worse.” You said with a small chuckle. The girl turned back around to face you, holding out your board and drink to you. You took them and looked back up at her. She looked to be your age. Her skin was tanned with freckles dotting along her cheeks and forehead. Her curly blonde hair was pulled back into a low ponytail.

“I haven’t seen you around here, did you just move in?” She asked, her head tilting ever so slightly to the side.

“Uh, yeah, actually…” You stammered, still dazed from your crash. “Is your cat okay, though?” You asked. You hoped you didn’t scare it off somewhere.

Her eyes widened before quickly whipping her head around. She sighed when her eyes landed up in a tree. “He’s up there.” She said, a little exasperated, pointing to the tree in between the sidewalk and street. You followed her gaze up the tree. On one of the lower branches sat a small brown tabby cat with striking green eyes.

She turned back to you, “So, where’d you move from?” She asked, then quickly introduced herself. “I’m Sky, by the way.”

“Y/N, and I moved from Montana a couple days ago.” 

“Wow, that’s pretty far.” She commented. “Why’d you move here?”

This girl sure does ask a lot of questions. “My dad found a job here. Do you live in the neighborhood, too?” You asked. 

“Oh, yeah, I live with my grandparents.” Sky told you.

“Cool.” You said. The silence that followed between you two lasted a little too long. You broke it with another question. “Do you go to the high school here?”

“Yeah, I’m going into my junior year.” 

_Oh, thank god._ You thought to yourself, relieved to know _someone_ that isn’t your crush. Does this really count as knowing someone, though? You almost ran her and her cat over and now you’re having one of the most awkward introductions ever, at least in your opinion. “Same here.” You replied. Another too-long silence followed. This time Sky broke the silence.

“So, you skate? That’s pretty cool, actually.” She said. “I’ve always wanted to learn how.” She followed with a small laugh.

“Well…” You started, preparing the most obvious line, hoping, _praying_ , she wouldn’t take it weird. “I could teach you how, if you want.” Adding the last part a second later.

“Really?” She asked, her eyes glimmering a bit. 

“Sure thing.” You replied with a smile. Maybe this wasn’t going so bad after all.

“Lemme see your phone so I can give you my number.” She said. You complied. _This girl’s pretty direct, huh?_ You thought to yourself. After a couple seconds, she gave it back to you. “Well, I’ve gotta get Nosferatu down from that tree.” 

You waved goodbye to each other, then you pushed off down the sidewalk towards your house, raspberry tea in hand. You wondered if you should text Sky tonight, or if you should wait for fear of coming off as desperate or creepy. You pushed it off to the side for now. The sun began to set as you came up on your house, your eyes subconsciously wandered to the Heffley’s, specifically one of the windows leading to the attic. You cursed yourself mentally. Why did your thoughts always go back to him? You sighed as you came to a stop in front of your garage, kicking up your skateboard into your hand. As you entered the house and slipped off your shoes, you realized how sweaty you were.

Your face crinkled in disgust at the amount of sweat on you. Welp, shower time you guess. You trotted upstairs and into the bathroom. Thankfully your mom already unpacked your shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel. You peeled off your clothes and set them on the toilet lid. Your eyes became fixed on the dark brown marks in the mirror. Scars. They lined your hips - a constant reminder. You traced the raised marks gingerly, before snapping out of your daze and turning to the shower faucet. The water streamed down from the shower head, and you made sure the water was cold. You needed something to ground you, and hot water would make your scratches hurt, you think.

After you were sufficiently clean and cool, you stepped out of the shower, combed your hair, and wrapped yourself up in two towels: one for your hair, and one for your body. Then you headed off to your room, closing the door behind you and tossing your clothes in your hamper. You let out a pleased sigh as you flopped onto your bed, phone in hand. No texts from Eliza. You frowned, then you realized you had a new contact in your phone: Sky. You debated with yourself for a bit whether or not you should text her first, then you realized she didn’t have your number, so she couldn’t text you first even if she wanted to.

 _Fuck it_. You thought, and sent her a text.

**hey it’s Y/N, lmk if you still wanna learn to skate :)**

Well, there it was. All you had to do was wait, doing whatever it is you do when you’re bored, which just means watching YouTube videos until you sleep.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rodrick laid on his bed, playing a game on his phone. Today was gonna be boring, he knew that for a fact. He couldn’t hang out with his friends because they were both busy, and he couldn’t torment Greg like usual because he was at his weird friend Rowley’s for the day. He would practice on his drum set, but there was one thing that kept him from fully concentrating. Y/N. He barely knew her, yet he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

She was interesting, that’s for sure. She was one of the only girls he’d met that actually liked the same music as him and weren’t just pretending to seem cool. Well, he didn’t know that much, but you seemed genuine to him at least. Rodrick got up from his bed and went over to the window. There you were, standing in front of your garage with your skateboard against your hip. She skates? Rodrick thought. Just who is this chick? Blame it on the area, but he didn’t know any girls that were into that.

You weren’t bad looking, either. In fact, he thought you were pretty good looking. In his mind, he compared you to Heather Hills (unfairly). Your vibes couldn’t be any more different. Was Heather really the ultimate romantic prospect in Rodrick’s mind? She acts like she isn’t into him, but how true is that really? He’s had a crush on her since middle school, surely there’s some chance of her returning his feelings, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, i attempted a small section from rodrick's point of view just test the waters. i dunno how i feel about writing it, since his character doesn't get a lot of development in the books, or the movies. if anyone has tips on how to write him, feel free to leave a comment! i'd appreciate the help ^^
> 
> also i'm kinda stumped on where to take the story next, suggestions appreciated!


	5. IV

# IV

A cool night breeze filled your room, which felt all the more relieving after your cold shower. You even stood in front of the window for a while to get that full force breeze on your face. Why not play some video games on this boring night? You rummaged around what was left in your duffle bag and pulled out a pink handheld - your prized Nintendo DSi. You already had your game of choice in the gamepak slot: the unmatched masterpiece, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. You played this game time and time again, but you never grew bored of it even though you knew the story by heart.

Speaking of skies, you realized you hadn't checked your phone in a while. you picked it up off your nightstand and checked the notifications. No text from Sky. You tried to reassure yourself that she was probably just busy or asleep, considering that it's almost midnight. You locked your phone again and turned on your DSi. A familiar jingle greeted you, giving you a small rush of nostalgia. You selected the game tab and got lost in the story once more.

***

Your morning goes what you now consider to be normal. You get up, wash your face, and brush your teeth. While you were moisturizing, your phone buzzed. On the screen was a preview of a message from Sky. You get a slight jolt of anticipation when you see her name before unlocking your phone and reading the text.

**Hey! I'd be down to hang out and skate this afternoon if you're not busy**

**im free all day just lmk when you're coming :)**

You smile at your phone for a moment. Finally things are picking up. You think, and let out a relieved sigh. Heading downstairs, you think about what you want for breakfast. As you reached the bottom step, you froze. Sitting in the kitchen talking to your mom is Susan, along with her youngest son, Manny.

Your mom trails off as she sees you standing at the foot of the stairs. She smiles and greets you with, "Good afternoon." 

Susan turns around to give you an enthusiastic wave and smile.

You stiffly raise a hand to return their greetings. _Wait, good afternoon? What time is it?_ You glance at the clock by the fridge. _Almost two o'clock… how?_ Never mind that, you quickly became aware of the fact that you were still in a tank top and short athletic shorts. You weren't even wearing a bra. You walk over to get an orange from the so-called display fruit basket and head back upstairs. You knew you had no real reason to be nervous, or even embarrassed, but something about being in your pajamas around your new crush's mom felt… well, a little embarrassing if not more. You tried to reassure yourself that if Rodrick was anything like you, he didn't have a very close relationship with his mom. The thing was, though, that you didn't know.

"Shit." You whispered to yourself. Sky said she wanted to hang out this afternoon, and you still looked like you just woke up. You peeled and scarfed down your orange, then sat at your still messy vanity. After you finished with your makeup, you threw on a pair of light wash mom shorts and a red and black striped crop top. You checked your phone again and saw a text from Sky saying she’d be leaving in fifteen minutes. You suck in air through your teeth. _Shit._ You quickly shoot a text back to her - something along the lines of “cool can’t wait :)” - before heading back downstairs to tell your mom you’re having someone over. When you looked into the kitchen, Susan seemed to have left, but your mom wasn’t down there either. So, you rushed back upstairs and walked toward the master bedroom. “Mom?” You called.

“Yeah?” She called back.

You entered the master bedroom. “I made a friend yesterday, and she wants to hang out today.”

Your mom was in her bathroom styling her hair. Her gaze didn’t divert from the mirror when she responded. “Oh, that’s nice, hon. Make sure your room’s clean, okay?”

“Mhm…” You trailed off before continuing. “She’ll be over in like fifteen minutes.” You went back downstairs.

You waited anxiously on the couch, subconsciously picking at the skin around your fingernails. Were you going to invite Sky in? All your family’s things were unpacked for the most part, but you didn’t know when you were supposed to invite someone inside. Just as you were getting pulled in by your thoughts, you were startled out of them by your doorbell ringing. You rushed - but not too quickly - to the door. When you opened it, Sky was standing there expectantly.

“Hey!” You greeted her with a smile.

“Hi.” She returned your gesture.

“So, howzabout we get to the skating lesson?” You asked, laughing slightly. 

Sky nodded enthusiastically. 

You made your way to the garage and picked up your skateboard from its place leaning against the wall. “Well, here she is.” You said, a bit of pride coating your words as you held it out slightly. “Skating is pretty difficult, but like any skill it just takes some practice.”

Sky watched you intently. You stammered a little before continuing. “We can start by just having you stand on the board, since balance is key.” You both walked out in front of the garage where the cement was fairly level and set your board down on the ground. “So, you can hold onto my wrist or something if you feel unstable.” You told her, holding out your hands for emphasis. “Just try to keep your feet on the bolts when you’re standing.”

“Hmm… okay.” Sky hummed. You could tell she was hesitating, since she was just staring down at the board. She cautiously put a foot on the board and rolled it side to side for a second. Then, she put her other foot on the board. Sky faltered slightly and her hands snapped to your wrists for stability, which made you jump a little.

“You good?” You asked her.

She chuckled nervously. “Yeah, I didn’t think it would be this slippery.” Her iron grip loosened slightly as she regained her balance. “Uh…” She stammered. “I hope you didn’t feel like I was forcing you to teach me this.” She said. She looked a little ashamed.

“No way, I mean, I was the one who offered.” You said, trying to reassure her. “I know how that feels, and I wouldn’t’ve invited you if I didn’t want to teach you.”

Sky sighed softly. She paused for a second. “I think I got it...” She lifted her hands from your wrists slowly, her eyes laser focused on her feet. “Ha! I got it!” She said triumphantly. In a moment of divine comedy, she lost her balance for a brief moment, her arms flailing around wildly. Thankfully she regained her balance again. You both burst into laughter - the timing couldn’t have been better. Maybe this is weird, but you already feel like you’ve been friends for a while. 

“Y’know, I think you’re a natural.” You told Sky.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes sarcastically. “Oh, stop.”

“No, I mean it.” You said earnestly. “It took me at least two weeks to be able to stand on my board without it shooting out from under me, and you’ve just been chilling there this whole time.”

“Ha, yeah. That is until I start moving.”

“True, but for what it’s worth, you have a good start.” You smiled.

Sky smiled back before stepping off the board. “Well, now that I can stand, you should show me some tricks.” She said, gesturing to it and backing away a small distance.

You shrugged and smirked in a joking show of confidence. “Why not?” Why not show off a little, too? You kicked your board up into your hand. “Let’s go into the street, there’s more room and barely any traffic.” You said and waved Sky to follow you. When you reached the end of your driveway, Sky sat down on the curb while you continued out a little further. You looked both ways. The street was as quiet as ever. You thought a street in the suburbs would have more traffic, at least. You walked down a fair bit of the street, almost to the next house.

You exhaled and put the board on the smooth asphalt. You looked back at Sky, who gave you a double thumbs up when she met your gaze. You focused on the road ahead of you, planting one foot on your skateboard firmly and pushing off down the road with the other. Once you picked up enough speed, you bent your knees, and did an ollie to warm yourself up. The wheels of your board landed on the asphalt with a satisfying clack. You heard Sky whoop and clap for you. You giggled and bowed as much as you could while riding a skateboard, leaning to the left to turn yourself around. You pushed off again, gaining some speed. You bent your knees again then popped up, this time pushing the side of your board with the tip of your shoe lightly. The board spun underneath you, and by some heavenly stroke of luck, you actually landed the kickflip. You threw both arms in the air in triumph. When you looked over at Sky she was mirroring your gesture. You rode back over to the curb where she was seated.

“That was, like, really cool.” Sky said.

_She’s pretty easily impressed, huh._ You thought, before letting out a shy “thanks.” Your shy smile turned to a smirk. “You wanna see something _really cool_?” You asked.

“Yes!” She replied, clasping her hands together in excitement.

“No promises, though. I’ve only gotten this one, like, three times ever.” You confess. Just as you were about to push off again, you hear a car rumbling in the distance. As it approached, you recognized it: the white van Rodrick drove with his band’s name spray painted on the sides. It was a hulking beast, spewing fumes out of the exhaust pipe as the engine gurgled like your uncle’s 1978 Chevrolet truck. You break your gaze with the vehicle in question and try to focus. You were gonna do a 180 Philly flip, definitely not the easiest trick in the skate trick book, if there did exist such a thing. You push off again, but just as you spin the board around your ankle, you catch a glance of your messy-haired neighbor opening the driver’s side door. Just as your eyes lock, your other foot catches your board wrong and you fly forward. You stumble for way too long before finally regaining your footing. 

_Oh. My. God. This isn't happening._

You didn't need a mirror to know your face was a bright tomato red. You were frozen in place, staring straight into the asphalt for what seemed like an eternity. As quick as you fell you snatched up your skateboard and speed-walked over to your driveway. You didn't dare look back up. Sky's face was a mix of confusion and quiet shock. You locked eyes with hers. In a moment of wordless communication, her own eyes lit up with an inaudible "ohhhh". Her mouth curls into a smug smirk and she bounces her eyebrows. "Oh, you like him, don't you?"

You shoosh her incessantly, even though Rodrick and whoever else you heard get out of his van couldn't hear you two - nor were they paying attention, you thought. You walk into the garage and Sky follows you, words bubbling out of her rapidly. "You and Rodrick… you know, I can kind of see it, considering you two are pretty similar in style. He's kind of weird, though."

You turned around to face Sky. Her remark intrigued you. "Weird how?" You asked. 

"Oh, you know..." She said, pausing for a moment to think about what to say. "I mean, I don't know him really, he's just always going on about how he's gonna make it big. I've never even heard them play for real, just the noise they make when they practice. Judging by the guy that hopped out of his van, you're probably gonna be treated to a show tonight." Sky groaned and rolled her eyes, then looked at you with a mischievous grin. "Maybe he'll write a song about you."

"Yeah, sure." You set your skateboard down against the garage wall. "The only thing he'll be doing when he thinks of me is laughing his ass off. Did you see how hard I ate shit back there?"

"But he'll remember you, though." She said matter-of-factly. When she noticed you were lost in thought with a worried look on your face, she put her hand on your shoulder. "Hey, guys like him don't tend to remember a lot, anyways. You'll be fine."

You sighed and looked back at Sky. "Yeah, I guess so… Did you at least have fun?" You asked.

"Yeah, of course! Can we maybe hang out again soon? If that's alright with you, I mean."

"I'd be glad to." You replied with a smile. "Are you going home soon?"

"Ah, yeah. My nan said to be home by five, and it's almost five, so…"

"Well, have a safe walk."

The two of you parted ways once again, promising to text each other that night about future hangout days. Your mind was still reeling over what just happened to you. You already convinced yourself your chances with Rodrick were so minuscule that you had a higher chance of being hit by a meteorite. Mortified didn't even begin to describe the dread you felt encompassing your entire being. You realized you were lingering in the garage for what was at least another five minutes, so you went inside and kicked off your shoes. Before you could go upstairs and sulk in your room, your mom stopped you from the living room.

"Just so you know we're having the Heffleys over for dinner tomorrow night, so I want your room and bathroom clean, okay?" Her expression turned to concern when she noticed your downcast face. "Hon, is everything okay?"

You looked up at her, feigning a neutral-happy expression. "Oh, yeah, I was just lost in thought."

"Well, I'm gonna make pierogies tonight. I'll let you know when they're done." She smiled gently. 

Mm… pierogies...You mused to yourself. The comforting thought of your favorite Polish cuisine was soon dampened by the recent memory of one of your biggest dumb bitch moments yet. When you reached your room, you threw yourself onto your bed face first and groaned loudly into your pillows. You fished your phone out of your pocket and started texting Eliza, ready to spill the scorching hot tea you already spilled all over yourself.

**elizaaaaa :((((**

**What's up? Did something happen?**

**i ate shit in front of the cute boy :((((**

**Did he see?**

**yeah...**

**If he makes fun of you he’s not worth your time**

**anyways.**

**i guess**

**my mom invited his family over, so that’s gonna**

**be something**

**Hey at least you could try and convince him**

**that you’re cool**

**ok but that would require me to BE cool in the**

**first place**

__________________________________________________

Hard rock music blared from the van’s speakers as Rodrick parked on the curb in front of his house. He looked out his side window and saw you riding around on your skateboard. As he got out of the van, his eyes locked with yours mid-trick and your foot caught the board wrong. Rodrick sharply inhaled through his teeth upon seeing you stumble forward, almost falling face-first into the street. Part of him wanted to go talk to you, but even in his limited social intelligence with girls he knew that probably wasn’t the best idea right now.

“Dude? Dude!” His friend, Ben, called to him from across the van.

“Uh, yeah?” Rodrick asked, not really sure how to react to what he just witnessed.

“Are we gonna unload our shit, or what?” Ben straightened his posture to look past Rodrick. “Wait, who’s that chick?” He asked.

Rodrick whipped his head back to where you were no longer standing, then back to his friend, as if he hadn’t caused your crash earlier. “She moved in a couple days ago. She’s, uh, pretty cool.”

Ben oooh-ed, his voice climbing to a mocking falsetto.

“Fuck off, man.” Rodrick laughed sarcastically. He moved to the back of the van and opened the double doors containing their band equipment. He handed Ben two drum stands while he took the drums themselves.

After they set up their makeshift studio in the garage, they started fucking around aimlessly while they were waiting for their two guitar players. They brought their own instruments to practice, so it couldn't really begin until they were all there. Ben was leaned against the garage wall, Caprisun in hand. He glanced over at Rodrick sitting on the stool behind his drum set staring off into space. 

“Dude, are you good?” He asked.

Rodrick’s gaze was pulled out of space and he whipped his head up. “Huh?”

“You were lost in space for a second there, man.” Ben’s Caprisun flatted as he slurped the rest of the fruit juice out of it. “Whatcha thinkin’ about?” 

Rodrick took a couple seconds to respond. “...Nothing, man. Nothing.”

“Hm.” Ben hummed, not satisfied with his friend’s answer. But of course, just as he was about to press Rodrick for more info, the distinct sound of their friends’ car reverberated through the garage. The two remaining members of the band burst through the garage door.

“What’s up, fucks?” A shaggy-haired blonde announced his presence, swinging a jingling set of keys around his index finger. A deep blue electric guitar was slung around his shoulder.

“Cole, my man!” Ben dabbed him up, then he moved on to Rodrick who did the same.

Another boy soon followed through the garage door. He greeted the rest of the group with a wave of his hand and a low “hey”. He had his bass in hand.

“Hey, Alex.” Rodrick said.

Ben clasped his hands together. “Ready to make some noise?” The answer was a resounding “hell yeah, dude”. And make noise they did, only interrupted by Rodrick’s mom’s complaints. Soon after came a snack break. While Alex was using the bathroom and probably hitting his Juul, Ben and Cole were talking about whatever came to mind. Rodrick was on his phone, but his friend’s conversation kept worming its way over to his ears. 

“Yeah, I think Rodrick might have a thing for her.” Ben said, his voice lowering as he reached the end of his sentence.

Cole chuckled before calling to Rodrick. “Yo, Rodrick.”

Rodrick looked up from his phone.

“Ben says you got yourself a bitch.” He said smugly.

“Dude, she’s not my bitch,” Rodrick said, rolling his eyes. “I’ve only talked to her, like, once.” He knew Cole wasn’t the most eloquent of guys, but he felt a tiny flicker of anger at him referring to you as “his bitch”. He barely knew you, but somehow he felt you weren’t just some girl.

“Ha, right. I know you’ve been thinking about her.” Ben retorted. “You actually look like you’re thinking about something for once.”

“Whatever, man.” Rodrick slumped back down in his stool. Cole and Ben laughed and returned to their regular conversation. Alex came back from the bathroom and entered the garage with a low “yo” and band practice resumed. The ferocity of Rodrick’s drumming was just barely enough to keep the aforementioned thoughts from intruding on his bro time. Almost as soon as they had begun, the afternoon turned to evening, and the evening turned to night. After Cole and Alex left, Ben and Rodrick packed up their things and got into Rodrick’s van. The drive to Ben’s house was quieter than usual. A slow alt rock song played over the speakers as the cool night breeze whipped through the van’s open windows.

“Man,” Ben broke the silence, “you can’t let some chick get in the way of our music again.”

“Like I said, dude, only talked to her once.” Rodrick bristled slightly, but just enough for Ben to get the message.

The rest of the ride was silent, only broken by the two boys exchanging a “peace” and dabbing each other up before Ben got out of the van.

When he returned home, he wordlessly made his way up to his room. He tossed his keys onto the nightstand and sighed heavily. Rodrick paused for a moment before opening up one of the drawers in his dresser and rummaging around for something. He pulled out a beat up college ruled notebook and grabbed a pencil off his floor. He turned on the lamp on his desk and stared at a blank sheet of lined paper. He remembered his guidance counselor saying something about how writing could be a healthy outlet for one’s feelings.

Rodrick got to writing. At first it started out as just listing out words, but soon it morphed into a poem of sorts. Maybe calling it a poem was being a little too generous, though. With each scribbled out word, he found himself becoming more frustrated. After a couple minutes, he gave up and crumpled the page up into a ball, throwing it into a dusty corner of his room in annoyance. _Whatever_. He thought to himself. If he didn’t want to work out what the hell was going through his mind, why should he have to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long! my sister's birthday was yesterday and i've been intermittently figuring out what the hell is going on with college for me. as i get into the school year, this fic is probably gonna update slower. this chapter was also split into two, since the first initial half got so long.
> 
> i want to thank everyone who's been reading, commenting, and leaving kudos! i didn't expect anyone to read this, but reading your comments made me want to improve my writing even more! you guys' kind words mean a lot, and i love reading your comments since they inspire me to keep working on this fic :)
> 
> huge shoutout goes to my significant other, who's been helping me write and proofread my fic. thank you again, and i hope you enjoyed this chapter! <3


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